With the hammering of the first nail at the E.C. Doren Branch, The Dayton Metro Library's major facilities improvement project officially begins. A First Nail Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, March 19, 10:30 a.m. at the library located at 701 Troy Street in Dayton.

The E. C. Doren Branch is the oldest in the county-wide system and the first to undergo renovation in the $187 million "Libraries for a Smarter Future" project, which was approved by voters in 2012. The branch is slated to have a community meeting room, a children's reading and program space, upgraded power and WiFi and a walled outdoor garden area among other improvements. While construction takes place over the next year, the library will be fully operational at a nearby temporary location at 359 Maryland Avenue.

"The ceremonial first nail really marks the beginning not only of the work at E.C. Doren, but the entire project as a whole," said Jayne Klose, Community Engagement Manager at the Dayton Metro Library. "It's an exciting time for us! We look forward to the changes and improvements to each of our libraries as we become the state-of-the-art system our community deserves."